£1 tickets to inspire next generation at the HIF

Harrogate International Festivals is offering children and young people (Under-18s) the chance to attend a special launch concert in the magnificent setting of the Royal Hall, for just £1.

On Saturday 12 March at 7.30pm, the Simón Bolívar String Quartet promise an electrifying performance.

The concert will also feature the launch of July’s Harrogate Music Festival programme.

Marc Dunleavy, Music Festivals Manager, said:

We’re offering the £1 tickets to celebrate our 50th anniversary year. One of our strands is to deliver year-round education and outreach work, and we felt this would be a wonderful addition to this work, and a great way to inspire the next generation of music lovers. Experiencing a live concert can be a formative experience on young minds, nothing compares to it.

Harrogate International Festivals has built a strong reputation for showcasing the finest international musicians, as well as providing a platform for emerging classical acts with its Young Musician Series.

Marc said:

The Simón Bolívar String Quartet is such a great offer for children because they’re the product of the renowned El Sistema programme. El Sistema uses immersive musical education to help some of the most deprived children in Venezuela.

It’s helped around 330,000 children in the country who are now members of orchestras, and made international stars of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra.

El Sistema is a success story that’s been replicated all over the world. It inspired Julian Lloyd Webber to create a similar scheme in the UK called Sistema England – a government-backed scheme that supports projects which get children from some of the most deprived parts of England playing in orchestras.

Windmill Primary School in Leeds is engaged in a Sistema inspired project, with children receiving up to 3 hours musical activity per week and after school music sessions. It saw a 20% increase in reading and Maths SATS results in 10 and 11 year-olds. Developing musical skills also improved well-being, self-confidence and social skills.

Marc added:

Study after study shows music positively impacts on self-esteem, team work and even behavioural problems. We passionately believe music can be transformative, and impact in every area of life. We don’t want classical music to be seen as stuffy, or only the domain of older audiences, we hope children will get engaged and not miss out on the incredible gift of music that can last a lifetime.

Some of the Quartet’s highlights include concerts at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Southbank Centre, major chamber concert venues in Canada and Japan, the Salzburg Festival and the Berlin Philharmonic. The vibrant foursome will play a programme of Schubert, Bartok and Mendelssohn.